Answers, Part XVI
Here is the 16th set:
Do football defenses actually practice blocking and setting up returns following a turnover? Also, do the UCLA coaches encourage guys to pick up fumbles and return or would they rather have them fall on it? Finally, do UCLA coaches encourage interceptions?
Turnovers are emphasized in practice every day, but there is no drill for blocking after a turnover is achieved. The coaches would prefer a player to fall on it to make sure they have it, but aren't adverse to them picking it up and running it back. It is a case-by-case thing. I wouldn't mind having Alterraun Verner pick it up, but I would prefer Brigham Harwell to fall on it.
What is "training table?"
It is where the athletes go to eat specially prepared meals.
What if any internal fallout was there within the athletic department and/or the marketing department following the "controversial" football ads last fall? (Monopoly is over and So you can say you were there)
Athletic director Dan Guerrero became more involved in the marketing, and less chances were taken when it came to being edgy.
On UCLA's athletic Web site, the 2009 football game vs USC is listed for Nov. 28...any word on why it's not the first Saturday of December like it's been the past few years?
The television contract has not yet been done, but it may eventually. I can see it being changed.
Can universities set restrictions and stipulations on a guy who wants to transfer out? Miami is apparently doing that with its QB who's leaving.
Yup, it's part of the scholarship agreement. Usually, a player is not allowed to transfer within the conference, and to a team that is on a future schedule. It is done to ensure the player will not get the chance to compete against the school he is leaving.
Boston College fired its coach for interviewing with the Jets...how do you think Neuheisel feels about that? I'm sure he'd never run off and interview like that! Seriously, though, is that a good policy on BC's part and do you think it's fair?
I think it is fair for Boston College to do that, and I don't have a problem with it since it appears the coach was not being honest with his bosses. I believe he was fired because he didn't tell his athletic director he was going to interview.
Do you find it suprising that Pete Carroll is so concerned/afraid as to start a negative recruiting campaign against Neuheisel? He is apparently bashing RN to recruits and started the Norton fiasco after ripping him a new one.
No, nothing surprises me that anyone does in recruiting. It is a very seedy aspect of college athletics, and USC is not the only school doing questionable things.
USC has had a lot of turnover in its assistant ranks...like both the offensive and defensive coordinators leaving. Do you think that affects their recruiting for the upcoming signing period?
No, I don't think so. The biggest issue is what it does to the on-field product because of continuity, but I think that is lessened by the fact USC has such great talent.
Allow me to coin a term: "double beat." Means one reporter covering both football and basketball, like you do. How do you rank UCLA as such a "double beat" to cover. Which team do you think presents the best "double beat" for a reporter to cover?
Boy, I don't know. I know it is a prestigious beat since UCLA basketball is highly thought of and UCLA football is a big draw. I'm sure covering Texas football and basketball would be pretty prestigious, as well as Florida. There's plenty of them.
Do you see Jrue Holiday coming back for another season? The backcourt for the Bruins will be thin next year if the team loses Collison and Holiday.
I don't know. I never did until I talked to him this week and he told me he thought he would come back for a second season. That will be included in my story Sunday.
8 Comments
Leave a comment
About Inside UCLA
This is Brian Dohn's sixth season covering UCLA after spending 4 1/2 years covering the Dodgers for the Daily News and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group papers. He graduated from Rutgers, where the first college football game was played in 1869. Sure, the Scarlet Knights suffered for a long time, but now RU is doing what Jerseyans always thought was possible. Winning at Rutgers also proves winning is possible everywhere else in the nation, so underachieving coaches better be careful. Now, if only men's hoops can turn it around.
The BC firing wasn't because of dishonesty. The AD specifically told the BC coach that if he interviewed with the Jets, he would be fired. He interviewed anyway.
On the opposite side, a lot of people realize how great they have things when they are tempted by something new. Perhaps Coach Jag, upon interviewing with the Jets, may have strengthened his committment to BC if he decided that the Jets opportunity and others wouldn't be as good as his current position.
Not to question your statement regarding Jrue, but all players give similar responses to the question, "Are you coming back?" To bring it to more of a subjective realm, do you get the feeling that Jrue is covering his bases and giving the answer to not be a distraction to the team, or is it an actual lean toward staying?
Based on his potential alone, he's easily a lottery pick, even without the Kevin Love-type domination some of us were expecting. Tough to turn down that money...
I hope he talks to another Bruin, Baron Davis, who later talked about his regrets of leaving early. KLove doesn't exactly look like he's enthused about his decision, either....
What's with all the USC questions?
I thought this was an UCLA blog.
Anonymous - go check out BRO (Bruin Report Online) 70% of the topics are about SC. Unfortunately it is called envy.
Reject - perhaps it's called a crosstown rivalry. I don't know a single Bruin who has "envy" for SC, nor a single Trojan with "envy" for UCLA.
Well, one exception - USC envies UCLA's beat writer, which they willingly admit...
RE: Coach Jagodzinski being fired for interviewing with Jets and how Coach Neuheisel would never do it.
When he was let go at Washington, one of the biggest reasons was that he secretly interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers for their head coaching position after (I believe) his third year at the University of Washington. The AD at the time, Barbara Hedges was extremely displeased, and the NCAA pool turned out to be a convenient excuse to let him go. Of course Coach Neuheisel got the last laugh there, but...